


Between Life and Death

by GlamRayVision



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, F/M, Hallucinations, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Ladybug dies, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers Don't Fix Everything, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 10:27:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30054048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlamRayVision/pseuds/GlamRayVision
Summary: He was supposed to protect her.He was supposed to protect her.And he-When an Akuma makes Chat Noir experience his worst nightmare,  his worst nightmare comes to life by his own paws.Now, he has to face his actions and face Hawkmoth.But not alone.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	Between Life and Death

**Author's Note:**

> I have to thank my awesome friend Laadychat for encouraging me to write this! You're awesome! I suggest you check out her mlb and atla works because they're really well done. 
> 
> So... I had an angst craving and brought this monstrosity into the world. Grab your tissues. 
> 
> I have no idea how long this will be, but I intend to complete it within a few weeks since I actually have the whole thing plotted out.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Adrien layed face down on the bed. Wet blankets cradled his eyes. Guilt seeped through his nerves and tingled every inch of his skin like a rash. It itched. The longer it itched, the longer this anger at himself pumped through his veins like a sea monster, the more desperately he desired to take her place. 

He loved her.

He loved her.

And he... he... he-

She said it wasn't his fault. 

And for once he couldn't believe her. 

He still remembered. He kept replaying the memory. 

\--------

"I am Dreammaster! And I will make your reality a nightmare!!! Whahahaha!" The Akuma declared.

Some civilians hit with her blasts seemed to go feral, hissing and clawing and punching, either at thin air, their friends, or complete strangers. Some immediately collapsed, slouched shoulders and hollow eyes. Some attacked their own skin, littering themselves with scratches and bruises. 

Chat Noir could admit he was scared when he showed up for battle, even alongside his lady. Never had he seen a villain with powers so... violent. 

And Ladybug seemed a bit less perfect than usual. It was obvious she had seen something she couldn't pretend to unsee, perhaps a friend or family member had been effected. 

Chat reached for her hand and flashed a reassuring smile. 

"Let's do this" she said with confidence. 

They fought the villain. 

It was going alright at first. This one was certainly tough, but so were Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

It was only a matter of time before he bravely, so stupidly took a blast to save her. 

He collapsed immediately. A few seconds passed. 

He opened his heavy eyes.

Hawkmoth. It was Hawkmoth. His purple suit stained red.

"You poor cat. I guess it's only fitting you meet the same fate as your lady"

"What- what happened? "

"Oh, she screamed. She fought. She almost won, really. Couldn't do it without her kitty, could she? "

"You-" he charged with his pole. Hawkmoth blocked him. They fought back and fourth. 

"Oh yes I did. I cornered her. I made her detransform. She's a 14 year old girl, by the way. Her eyes are just as blue without the suit. She fought me without her costume, anything to protect those precious jewls. I stabbed her. I bashed her. She wouldn't stop. She wouldn't give up and just die! She just had to keep going until she could no longer move. She was still alive when I took her earrings. She bled out, knowing she was a failure. Such feirce determination, it was so annoying, yet so much fun! I haven't felt so alive until now, and I won't again until I posess your jewl as well"

"That can't be true!" Chat fought harder. Hawkmoth forced him to the ground. Chat picked himself back up. "This must be a nightmare, an Akuma, an illusion, or something! She would've found a way out. I would have been with her. You're not the real Hawkmoth! And that's not her blood on your sword! "

"Then explain this" Hawkmoth smeared his face with blood. It was warm on his cheek, cold as air moved past. Chat touched it, observing the red stuck to his fingers. "No...." tears escaped from his eyes "Nononononono" he looked up at him "No! Ladybug can't be gone! This isn't real! She can't, she can't..."

"This is real, Chat Noir. And I will have your miraculous, even if I have to kill you for it too. Ladybug is dead!"

"One problem, old man" Chat growled. "I won't be joining her. Someone has to complete our mission to protect Paris and the miraculous. And I won't stop. I won't die today. You, on the other hand, I'm still making up my mind. Cataclysm!!!" He lunged at him. He dodged. 

He pulled at Chat's belt and grabbed his hand. His free hand punched his jaw.

Chat kept going, every punch, every kick, every ounce of denial and grief he poured into the battle. 

Finally his charged paw hit the moth miraculous. 

And nothing happened. 

Hawkmoth broke into a hysterical laughter. 

"You- you- you don't deserve your miraculous, Hawkmoth. " he pushed harder into his chest. "You hurt my city, my friends, and you killed my love and my partner. And I won't stop until you can't hurt anyone else!"

Hawkmoth gave him a bitter smirk that etched its way into his soul. 

"Why isn't it working! " Chat pushed harder.

"You'll never win!" Hawkmoth laughed. 

Chat didn't stop. Not until the cataclysm fizzled out. Not until he started getting dizzy as the world around him faded into black. Not until he opened his eyes and saw the Ladybug-shaped pile of ash in front of him, lying on the road next to a pair of earrings.

It was just an Akuma. 

She was there, alive, perfectly fine five minutes ago. 

Five minutes ago. 

It hits him. He killed her. 

He couldn't move.

\---

Adrien cried harder into his bed. 

'She's still out there ' he reminded himself. He didn't know if he could believe it, but he saw what he saw.

\---

Chat backed away from the pile of ash as time slowed to a weeping crawl. 

The sounds of sirens and bystanders and his own beeping ring swirled around his head as his fingers twitched in disbelief and his mouth opened with a voice to weak to call out her name. Reality collapsed into a void.

He blinked.

Why was Marinette standing in front of him, with a reassuring smile?

He blinked.

She was gone.

He collapsed on the ground as the transformation wore off. The whole world could know he was a monster. He didn't care. He clawed at his tears.

He looked at her remains again, although the earrings were gone. The Akuma must've taken them. Great. One more screw up. 

Police cars and reporters started to approach the boy. They knew there was no undoing what was done.

Clouds circled the heavens as fat water droplets splattered the ground, soaking everything and everyone in their path. Except Adrien. He was bone dry.

Thunder cracked with passion. 

A figure appeared in front of him.

It was her.

Ladybug!

"Back away! " she shouted. "It's not his fault! It's Hawkmoth's! Do not punish Chat Noir for Hawkmoth's crimes."

She turned to him. "It's not your fault. Don't give up on me. I can't do this without you. And I'm so glad it was you, Adrien. " She kissed him on the cheek. "And say hi to my stinky sock, will you?"

The clouds vanished into a "Miraculous Ladybug !" and repaired the city, but not her. She dissappeared for now.

No one dared to get close to Adrien.

He ran off in tears into an abandoned ally, unsure of what else to do.

"Adrien! "

It was Marinette again. She ran to him.

"Marinette? "

"Are you okay? " She asked. 

"No. She's- she's-she's- you shouldn't stay here." He stuttered to the ground. " It's not safe. Everyone knows who I am now. "

"You're the other boy" 

He looked up at her in recognition. "What?"

"You're the other boy. I thought you should know. "

"Are- are you?"

She nodded. "Tikki and I, well, we're together for some reason. Probably because I was still in costume. At least Hawkmoth can't transform. "

"Marinette, Ladybug, I'm sorry! I thought-"

"I heard what you said, when the Akuma got you. I know what you saw. And I couldn't save you, I'm so sorry "

"Don't be. You shouldn't have paid with your life. " he insisted. 

"Stay strong, kitty, we can still win. It's going to be alright. We will be alright. I have a plan. "

She faded away yet again when Gorilla found him. For once, Adrien came with him willingly. 

\---

Adrien still had the lucky charm she gave him in the pocket of his shirt. The beads protuded into his chest as they were pushed up by the bed. They hurt. He didn't take it out. He didn't get up. Adrien just layed there. She gave him something special, something magical, something simple yet extraordinary. 

It was more than beads on a string. It was her superpower. It was her unconditional love. And he had it, even now. 

Even when when he felt he deserved it the least.


End file.
